Neo Fiction
by abitheimpala
Summary: Nico Di Angelo X Leo Valdez. Yeah thats basically the entire storyline.
1. Leo

**Leo**

I don't really remember the first time I saw Nico Di Angelo.

I wasn't particularly concentrating at that point – I was rather preoccupied by the giants trying to kill me.

It's just a vague flash of a memory, a dark looking boy, skinny. A boy whose eyes had the look of someone who had been to hell and back.

In a way, I guess, he had been.

It was only later, once all the action was over, that I finally got to appreciate him.

He was thin, and almost as tall as me, despite the age difference. His hair was dark and thick, and it plagued him with a single lock that constantly fell into his dark blue eyes. Coupled with the ghostly pale skin and fierce scowl that had taken up permanent residence on his face, there was no doubt about who his godly parent was.

Not that it was love at first sight or anything. I mean, he was pretty darn attractive, but if I fell head-over-heels for every good looking guy we met, most of the inhabitants of this ship wouldn't be safe.

Excluding Hedge, of course.

In fact, my original reaction towards Nico Di Angelo was that his looks were his only redeeming feature. I mean, yeah we'd just rescued him from being trapped inside a giant glass jar with nothing to eat but a single seed a day, but that doesn't give you an excuse to be an asshole.

Though from what I'd heard back at camp that was his usual state of being.

The kid kinda just ignored everyone, only spoke to Hazel and Percy, and even that was only when he had too; he didn't exactly endear himself to the rest of the crew. I know Frank made an effort to be friendly, what with Hazel being his girlfriend and all, but Nico must have some sixth sense for ulterior motives, and all Frank's attempts at friendship went unfulfilled.

Me, I wasn't even going to bother trying.

Which is probably why I was the one he chose.

It wasn't planned. The night it happened I had slept badly, haunted by the nightmares that had been my constant companions since my encounter with Gaia. I had headed up topside to talk to Festus, in an attempt to calm myself down. Unfortunately, I wasn't the decks' only inhabitant that night.

I stopped when I came to the top of the staircase, arrested by the sight of Nico standing at the edge of the ship, leaning so far over I was sure he was going to fall at any moment. His dark hair was pulled wildly by the wind, and the thick material of his black aviator jacket shuddered with the gusts.

I took another step on deck, and the planks of wood creaked slightly under my weight. Even though the sound was barely audible, Nico whipped around, dark hair flying.

'What are you doing here?' he growled, even more defensive than usual.

I swallowed. To him, I must appear to be sneaking around, spying, most likely.

'I couldn't sleep – I was coming on deck to get some air.'

He had turned his head again, so that his face was barely visible in the dim light which illuminated the deck. 'I-I couldn't sleep either.'

He looked back at me, and in that moment, I caught a glimpse of silver running across his face. My mind instantly assumed the worst. What if Nico was an android? Or what if he wasn't even the real Nico at all, but instead a robot decoy placed among us by the giants as a trap? What if –'

But as he raised his hand to swipe furiously at his eyes, the truth became all too obvious.

Nico was _crying._

Nico Di Angelo, who never showed any emotion. Who wouldn't open up to anyone, not even his almost-not-really sister. He was _crying._

Yeah, I was kinda stunned.

'Uh- are you okay?' I blurted out, then instantly regretted it. If he was going to tell anyone what was wrong, it certainly wouldn't be _me._

Once again, he surprised me.

'Oh it's nothing really .. Just – it was my sister's birthday today …' he trailed off, blushing furiously and scrubbing at his eyes with the back of his hands.

I felt supremely awkward, but I didn't want him to stop talking now. If he did, who knew when the next time his mouth opened would be.

'Your sister … Is she a demigod? I don't remember seeing her at camp.'

He hesitated, and I could sense this was a topic he didn't really want to talk about, but I stayed silent, expectant, and eventually he began talking once more.

'Yeah, she's a child of Hades, like me … but she's not at camp anymore; she joined the Huntresses a few years ago.'

I did the math in my head. A few years ago … Nico would have been super young, only eleven or twelve. It'd be hard to be left by your only sibling at that age.

'So you wouldn't see her much then. Oh! But hey! We met the Huntresses a while back! I might even have seen her. What's her name? Is it Phoebe? I know it can't be Thalia, or else you'd be related to Jason … I don't really remember anyone who looked like you.'

'Oh, no, you wouldn't have seen her.' he quickly replied.

I wasn't sure how he could be so certain, but it was obvious that this was a vein of conversation he didn't particularly want to dwell on, so I shrugged and let it go.

The silence stretched out awkwardly until I cleared my throat and gestured towards the control room.

'Well, ahhh – I was just going to go check that everything is going okay with Festus, so …'

Nico looked intrigued. The last of the tears had dried away, and though in some places his face was still marked with silvery streaks, he didn't look quite as sad as before.

'Who's Festus?' he asked.

I smiled, and couldn't help but let a short laugh escape.

'Oh, I forget that you haven't been with us from the beginning. Festus is the boat. Well, sort of. He used to be a giant metal dragon, but he was destroyed by Gaia's army. We ended up using him as the figurehead for the Argo II, so I usually refer to the ship as Festus.'

His brow furrowed adorably as he frowned. 'Festus? In Greek doesn't that mean … happy?'

I grinned again. This kid wasn't that bad. And shadowed by the darkness, a contrast of black and white, he was looking even better than usual.

'Yeah. Yeah it does. I'm gonna go make sure everything's in working order. Do you … do you want to come to?'

I was blushing slightly as I made this offer, and could only hope that the tan colour of my skin would hide that fact. Nico, unfortunately for him but not so much for me, didn't have that advantage. He flushed pink and ducked his head to study his boots as he accepted my offer.

'Yeah … I'd like that.'

I beamed at him, unusually pleased.

'Alright than. Follow Captain Leo. The maintenance room is right this way …'


	2. Nico

**Side Note: I will probably update this every 1 – 2 weeks depending ; I have another two Fanfics I'm working on at the moment too so it may differ, but yeah :D**

I followed Leo across the deck, down some stairs, and into a room which appeared to be a maze of pipes and boilers. It was much warmer in here, and I couldn't feel the chill which, even though I had long ago gotten used to my perpetual state of coldness, had still managed to penetrate my jacket.

Leo whipped a spanner from his tool belt, spinning it on his finger as he headed left to inspect one of the many pipes that ran along the walls. I wondered how much stuff he had in that tool belt. It seemed to be able to hold more than it should. It must be incredibly heavy. I wandered after him, glancing at the spinning dials and valves that lined the pipes. I had absolutely zero idea what any of this was or how it worked, but Leo appeared to be in his element. Dashing around like an elf on a caffeine hit, he was madly adjusting things with his spanner. He lent down to tap on a dial, and as he straightened he managed to smudge grease all down his cheek and across his nose. I giggled nervously, and he turned at the sound.

'What is it?' he asked, the look of confusion which crossed his face making him look even charming than usual.

'It's just, you've got a little something here.' I elaborated, tapping my nose.

Leo shrugged, reaching into his belt to pull out a rag. 'Yeah, that happens a lot.'

He wiped his face, which only succeeded in smudging it further, but I didn't want to break the news to him that his attempt had failed. He stuffed the rag back into his belt, along with the screwdriver, and pulled out a large hammer.

Now I _knew _that there was something up with that. There was _no way_ that a hammer of that size could fit in there. It was larger than the _entire tool belt_ for Olympus sake.

'Leo … how did you even pull that out? It's too big to fit.'

Leo seemed a little thrown for a second, but quickly regained his rhythm, striking the dial as he answered.

'Well I found it hidden in the Hephaestus cabin. It's magical … I can pull out basically any tool that you could find in a workshop. Breath mints too.'

As he said this he stuck his hand into the belt and pulled out a packet of cool mints, grinning. 'Want one?'

I couldn't help but smile in reply. Leo's grin was infectious. It was one of the things I liked about him. He wasn't fake. He didn't care if he was seen with grease smears all over his nose, and he didn't try to be someone he wasn't just to please other people. I respected that, and it was why I related to him better than the others on the ship, except for maybe Hazel. I accepted one of the mints, popping it into my mouth. I felt like a wall between Leo and I had been broken down, and when I saw him smiling at me with an odd look on his face, I wondered if he felt it too.

Our gazes locked, and for some strange reason I couldn't seem to break away from those dark brown eyes. They were the colour of melted chocolate, and the sensation of being caught in them rushed through me. I felt my breath hitch in my throat as my heart fluttered inside my chest. I don't know how long we would have stood there, but the trance was broken by a whining sound which began to emit from the dial Leo had been working on.

I turned away instantly, my face growing warm. I scrubbed at the blush with my hands, as though I could clean it off.

'It's this darn heat. I'm just not used to it.' I muttered, in a lame attempt to convince myself. I pulled of my jacket and draped it over a boiler, feeling the humid air as it rushed past my now bare arms. Leo was working furiously again, tapping at the dial with the hammer, and occasionally exchanging it for other different tools. At first I watched from a distance, unwilling to go any closer after the strange events which had just taken place, but eventually my curiosity got the best of me, and I stepped forward until I was just behind Leo's shoulder, peering over it to see him working.

'What are you doing to it?' I asked, after some hesitation. Leo started as he turned to look at me, a momentary look of confusion flowing over his face, as though he had forgotten that I was there. It was quickly replaced by his usually easy grin, as he gestured towards the dial with the spanner he was currently clutching.

'Oh, the rim's come loose, so it's playing up. I had to check the air pressure behind the glass, to make sure it's still working correctly, and now I'm tightening it. In a moment I'll have to weld it together.'

He finished his work with the spanner and placed it on the ground. I expected him to reach into his tool belt and magically produce a blowtorch, but instead he simply let a small flame flicker on his fingertip, then drew it around the edge of the dial. I was awed. I remembered Hazel telling me that Leo could summon fire, but I hadn't really been listening at the time. To see him actually doing so was incredible.

Leo finished and sat back on his heels, looking satisfied. 'There's all that finished up. Everything's in working order.' he grinned up at me, and I smiled down at him in return. Leo started to rise to his feet, then stopped, his nose twitching.

'Smoke. I smell smoke.' he said, looking confused.

I frowned. 'Wouldn't that be from the dial?'

Leo shook his head in a negative response, his eyes darting around the room. 'It's not metal smoke. It smells like it's coming from some sort of material …' his eyes landed on something behind me and he darted forward, as I turned to follow his gaze.

My jacket, sitting atop the hot boiler, had burst into flames. Leo seized it with his bare hands, patting the flames out until all that remained was a charred mess of leather. Gazing down at it, he looked back up to meet my gaze.

'Sorry about that, I probably should have warned you. I don't think it's really wearable anymore.'

I gazed forlornly at the scraps in Leo's hands. That had been my favourite jacket. It had served me well for many years now, and I was sad to see it go.

R.I.P beautiful jacket.

I shrugged and reached for the balled-up leather. 'When I get back to camp I'll ask one of the Aphrodite kids if they know of anywhere I could get one similar. It's all cool.'

As Leo handed the jacket back to me, our hands brushed, only slightly, sending a wave of sparks through me. I imagined that this was how it must feel to be him, like you were on fire, but it couldn't burn you. It was a good feeling, intoxicating and heady.

It was then I was forced to admit that what I felt for Leo was more than just friendly. I didn't know when this had subconsciously happened, but now that I had acknowledged it, there was no going back.


	3. Leo Again

**So the next installment is released ... It's all rather dramatic, but I'm liking it :) Thankyou all for the lovely reviews, and for those of you who noticed my habit of spelling Gaia instead of Gaea, It's because I spent my early childhood reading it spelt Gaia and now it's like an automatic thing ... I apologise, but I'll probably accidentally do it again ;P**

I was in love with Nico Di Angelo.

Well, maybe _love _was too strong a word. I wasn't sure how to describe it, that feeling that hovered gawkily in between a casual crush and true love. Neither extremes seemed to fit, but there was certainly no longer the option of rejecting my own feelings.

Which meant the next step was to stand their awkwardly and do absolutely nothing about it.

That I accomplished rather easily.

It was the part that came after that which I was having difficulty with.

The two of us stood their staring at one another. Nico was blushing like crazy, and judging by the warmth of my face I was betting that I was too. The jacket was still between us, like a barrier, stopping me from doing anything which I may later regret. Nico was the first to draw back, carefully tugging the burnt jacket from my hands. The patch of material that had survived was so small that he was able to push it into his back pocket, the end trailing.

As soon as we broke eye contact, I was free to move, and I backed a step or two away from him, hoping that it was only the closeness magnifying my feelings.

I needed to get outside, quickly, let the cold air cool me off.

Or else I feared that I may burst into flames.

'I, uh … um, well, I have to-' I gestured wildly towards the door, but upon being unable to find a phrase that would do anything bar worsen the situation, I simply turned heel and dashed towards it, ripping it open and running to the prow of the ship.

I stood there with the wind washing over me, blowing my hair around wildly, cooling me and bringing me to my senses.

I couldn't say anything to Nico. It wasn't fair to him, especially when he most likely didn't feel the same way. And it would just make the friendship which we had begun to form rather awkward.

I turned back towards the boat as I heard the door clang shut. I could only see Nico's indistinct outline as he made his way towards me, shrouded in the shadows. He stepped up towards the front of the boat, and where I stood. In the dim light his eyes were shining like beacons, and in that moment I realised he was the most beautiful being on the planet.

He had given up on pushing back the lock of hair, and it hung into his eyes, making him look less threatening and more like the 15 year old boy that he was. With his jacket off I could see the muscles in his arms, pronounced but still wiry. His hair was dark and glossy, his skin pale against his black shirt.

He was beautiful.

But he was also untouchable, as many beautiful things are.

I realised I had been staring once again, and pulled my gaze away to glance out into the unfathomable darkness that lay around us. When I looked back at him, he was still looking intently at me.

He shivered slightly, and it was then I realised how cold he must be. I was fine out here, but then again I had often been referred to as a human heater. That's one of the perks of being a fire wielder, I guess. Nico, however, was used to wearing a super-thick jacket everywhere – even then he practically radiated coldness.

'Nico … uh, are you warm enough? Because I can probably get you a blanket or something from my tool belt if you need one …'

Nico nodded as he answered, his body giving an involuntary shudder as a blast of cold air hit him once more.

'Yeah, that – that'd be wonderful.'

I reached my hand into my belt picturing a blanket in my mind, the sort one might thrown over a project to keep it dust free – an object which was usually available in most workshops.

I drew my hand out, expecting the blanket to come with it, as these things usually did, but I was left empty handed.

I cleared my throat.

'Uh, well, it appears that my belt has run out of juice for the time being. So, unfortunately, that means no blanket.'

Nico nodded in understanding. I waited for him to request that we head back down below deck or the like, but he simply wrapped his arms around himself tighter.

I gazed at him as he was buffeted slightly by the wind, rocking back on his heels. I felt strangely protective of him, a feeling which almost scared me more than my realisation of his attractiveness. Why should I feel protective of anyone? I was usually the one who needed protecting, silly old Leo, with his head in the clouds and his mind off with the machines. I couldn't protect anyone to save myself, especially not Nico Di Angelo, who had proved himself more than capable.

He had journeyed to Tartarus, for Olympus's sake! What could I do that could possibly help him?

All of a sudden, Nico's voice broke through my thoughts.

'Leo … I'm sorry. I lied to you before.'

The thing that struck me most about this comment wasn't his admonition of his dishonesty, but rather it was the fact that he had referred to me by name. This was the second time he had done so now, and for some reason hear my name in his mouth was almost as thrilling as touching him. He said it like it was important, like it was the sort of thing that one would look after, a secret gift from a friend. It felt oddly taboo.

'I forgive you.' I replied, my voice sounding oddly husky, even to my ears.

Nico looked befuddled, his brow furrowing and increasing his adorableness tenfold.

'But you don't even know what it is I lied about yet. I –'

I raised a hand, cutting him off. 'I don't care what you lied about, I forgive you. Whatever it is. I forgive you, Nico.'

I tried his name out. I liked the sound of it in my mouth, rolling off my tongue like a promise. He had opened his mouth to retort when I started, but as I spoke his name he closed it, a slight frown passing over his face as he reddened. He recovered himself and began to speak.

'But why would you do that? You hardly know me.'

This was the moment of truth. Sink or swim.

'Because, because, well Nico, I – I …'

My stammering was nearly as eloquent as I would wish it to be, but Nico's eyes widened as he gazed at me, his expression slightly dazed.

'Leo …' he breathed.

'Why do you keep saying my name like that?' I asked him, momentarily distracted.

He stepped forward, so that there was only inches between us. He reached out tentatively, arms encircling me and pulling me closer. I gasped as we touched, as bolts of ice zapped through me, so cold it felt as though I was being burnt. But this was not the sort of fire I was protected against. This was something altogether more dangerous.

And I liked it.


	4. Nico Again

**Hello again everyone! Sorry that this week's chapter took forever (i'm such a terrible human being *apologetic face*) I wanted it to all be perfect … though sadly it's also shorter than usual. I hope you enjoy this new instalment of Neo-ness and please stay tuned for an important announcement at the end of the chapter :o**

I felt safe.

It was an odd feeling, and a rather foreign concept. I hadn't felt safe, not for a long time, not since Percy Jackson had shown up at my school and told my sister and I that our father was a God.

You don't get much familial love when your Dad's the God of Death.

Yet in Leo's arms, that was exactly how I felt. And more than that. I knew that this person would accept me no matter what I did, no matter what I had already done. That they would do their best to protect me, no matter the cost to themselves.

That this person would love me.

I didn't know whether Leo already loved me, or if he was feeling something more like I was – a fluttery, heated sensation which went unnamed. My guess was the second, but somehow I knew that wouldn't be how it ended for the two of us.

Leo drew his face back slightly, gazing into my eyes, head tilted slightly downwards. He was so beautiful; his dark hair curling at his temples, his cocoa brown skin, those deep brown eyes and the way his entire face lit up with his cheeky grin. Now though, his expression was serious, though I found that the mood of the moment was considerably lightened by the grease stain whish still ran across the side of his face.

He lent forward further, so that our foreheads and noses touched, and all I could see was Leo Leo Leo.

My breath hitched in my chest and I breathed in deeply, my eyes locked on his.

Cautiously, I breached the gap between us, leaning in closer, so that I could feel his breath mingling with mine, until he moved forward and our lips met.

The kiss was soft and gentle, warming me from the tips of my toes all the way to my nose, heat running though my veins. My hands, of their own accord, lifted themselves from his waist to tangle in his hair, silky curls amid my fingertips.

The kiss deepened, and Leo raised his own hands to cup my chin. His lips moved gently against mine, and my fingers automatically clenched tighter in his hair.

Unfortunately, this caused him to jerk backwards, rubbing his head.

'Ow.' he said ruefully, gazing across at me.

I was instantly apologetic, though admittedly the thing I was sorriest about was that it had caused the kiss to stop. I opened my mouth to suggest that we give it another try, but a smile had crept over Leo's face.

'What? What is it? What's funny?' I asked him. His grin just got wider, until it could no longer contain his laughter, and a short chuckle slipped out. As soon as that happened, Leo was over the brink. He covered his mouth with his hand in an attempt to return to normalcy.

'What, what are you laughing at?' I enquired once more. He didn't stop, simply gesturing to the grease stain that ran across his nose, which I was by now rather fond of. Confused, I reached up to touch my own cheek. When I drew it back my fingertips were stained dark.

I began to smile too, seeing the comedy of the situation. Leo was no longer the only one who was grease-stained.

And I was no longer alone.

**AND NOW THE IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: **

**Unfortunately, I regret to inform you all that this is the last instalment of NeoFiction *cries***

** I have absolutely lovedlovedloved this story, but I'm not sure where I would even go with it after this and don't want it just degenerating into pointless smut, because that would be VERY BAD and make me probably cry. So this is it. At some point in time in future, I may write a special edition (god that sounds pretentious) chapter, with them a month into their relationship of something, if everyone thinks that's a good idea … so look out for that, if it happens. **

**Also, for everyone who hasn't checked out my author page, I do take requests! So if you have a random scenario or an OTP which you realllllly need to read a story about then please PM me and request it :D I will do my best to write one, as I know the pain of being OTP fanfictionless as …. REVELATION: My OTP is Neo and I couldn't find a decent story and was therefore forced to write one *joyous***

**I'm apologise I know I shouldn't plague everyone with all this information as this announcement has become far too long already and I am sorry :( **

**Well I hope everyone enjoyed this story and it brightened your day!**


	5. Nico Once More

**A/N **

**They're back! :3 **

**I wasn't planning on writing anything NicoXLeo related for a while longer, but I was feeling in the mood for some Neo lovin' and I thought I better do this before Uncle Rick kills one of them off in House of Hades (please god no don't even go there) so here you have it**

**I really wanted to write a mushy romantic thing, so I did! (I have no regrets)**

**This is set about a month or two after the end of the last chapter …**

**For some reason they're still flyin' around on Festus, which is simply because I have no idea how Rick Riordan plans on resolving any of the ****_many _****issues that were raised in Mark of Athena, so I'm simply hoping that I can make this clash with the storyline as little as possible. It would have been smarter, therefore, to set this a day or two after, but I wanted to see what their relationship was like after it had progressed for a bit …**

**Also if anyone realises that no-one seems ****_that_**** worried about the whole Camp Half-blood being invaded and Percabeth being lost in Tartarus thing, once again that's because it doesn't really work for the storyline I've got going (also it brings up too many painful possibilities) so I'm just pretending it doesn't exist.**

**That was far too long; sorry for forcing you to read it :(**

**Please enjoy!**

**Nico**

I was awoken by a persistent knocking on my door.

I rolled over and groaned, rubbing my bleary eyes with the back of my hand. The knocking continued as I rose from my bed, tripping slightly as the sheets tangled around my leg, pulling me back. I groaned and raised my foot out of the morass, yawning as I stumbled over to the doorway. Wrenching the door open, I glowered out from under dark locks of hair, to the figure that stood before me.

'What – what is it that you want?' I mumbled, feeling my eyelids beginning to droop. I forced them open and raised my face to see who on earth would be knocking on my door this early.

Oh. _Oh. _

It was Leo.

He was gazing at me, his mouth hanging slightly open as his face rapidly went red.

That was when I became incredibly self-conscious of the fact that I had no shirt on.

I coughed awkwardly, and raised a hand to push my hair out of my eyes, strategically placing my arms across my chest as I felt myself beginning to bear some resemblance to Leo colour-wise.

'Oh, um, hey Leo. What're you doing here?'

Leo quickly raised his eyes from where he had furtively been studying my chest, a guilty expression plastered across his face.

'Well, you see, ah, I was … I was …'

He scratched the back of his head with his hand, mussing up his hair. When stopped, he left his hair standing out every which-way, adorably dishevelled. It was all I could do not to reach over and smooth it down; however, I restrained myself. I _was_ only wearing pyjama shorts after all – it was best not to get to close to Leo, else he burst into flame.

Which wasn't a pleasant experience; for me or for the floorboards.

This was an unfortunate dilemma we had discovered along the way in our relationship. When Leo got excited he got hot – both in the figurative and literal senses of the word. The fact that my body temperature was rather low and that I was occasionally known to actually exude cold, like some ghosts, did help, and meant that our relationship could progress far smoother than it would have with anyone else. However, Leo had still managed to reduce a few of my favourite shirts to cinders. We were working it out, and each day he got more and more under control, but it still wasn't a good idea to expose him to too much too quickly.

And by the way his eyes had returned to my chest, I was guessing that me coming a single step closer looking like this would register on the 'too much' list.

'So, uh, what where you saying before?' I nudged, breaking into his daydreams.

Leo quickly pulled his jaw closed, and raised his eyes to meet mine once more, his expression one of steely determination.

'Well since the Argo has to stop off for supplies this afternoon … everyone is going out. And I thought maybe we could too – if that – if it's all right with you, I mean …'

'Sure.' I replied. 'Frank'll probably love the chance to play tour guide again. He doesn't seem to understand the fact that Hazel already likes him plenty as is – he needn't keep trying to use me to impress her.' I smiled a little at the memory of him showing me around Canada, glancing back at Hazel every few steps to check that she was still busy being impressed by his kindness.

Leo, however, wasn't laughing. The blush monster had returned with a vengeance.

'Well, ahh, you see, Frank can't make it. Since Hazel's been pretty depressed with the whole Percy and Annabeth thing, Frank thought if might be best if they went someplace together … alone.'

'Oh. So it'll just be us, Jason and Piper.'

I deflated a bit at the thought. Jason wasn't really my favourite guy. I mean he was nice and all, and he was very set on getting Percy back, which gave him points in my books, but he was a little too, well, brilliant. He was intelligent, handsome, kind to children and small animals, and had been nothing but nice to me since I had been freed.

It was kind of annoying.

Piper was alright; she just kind of creeped me out. I didn't like the idea that if it took her fancy, she could make me do anything she wanted. I didn't think she would, but if we were in a situation where one of us could potentially get hurt, I was certain that I would be the one she would be choosing. If she had to exchange Jason's safety for _anyone_ on the ship, even Leo, I had the feeling she might do it.

The Leo in question was nervously clenching and unclenching his hands at his side, a nervous habit which I found sort of cute.

'Well, not exactly. Piper has to go shopping, since nearly all of the clothes she packed have been torn up, or had acid tipped on them, or been washed away. Since she can't go by herself, and Hedge would be likely to eat the displays, Jason said he'd take her. So … it's just us.'

My instinct reaction was to grin widely, but that was soon replaced by a blush that I could feel stealing up my neck and onto my face. Leo and I alone … for a whole day. It was almost too pleasant a possibility to think about for a long period of time.

On the ship, we didn't get to spend much time with one another. And even when we did, it was only as friends.

See, we hadn't exactly told anyone what was going on between us.

It had felt like a fact too awkward, too personal, to reveal. And how did you drop that sort of thing casually into a conversation? 'Hey, Hazel, thought you should know, I'm gay and dating Leo. How are your beans?'

It was just easier to keep up a semblance of friendship. That way no one thought it odd when we went off together to find tools in darkly lit cupboards. They simply assumed that we _were_ going to find tools in darkly lit cupboards.

When in reality we may or may not have been busy kissing and lighting one another's clothes on fire.

So the prospect of _an entire day _with Leo where we didn't have to sneak around, where we didn't have to do a 360° check of the perimeter to make sure Hedge wasn't out and about before even _hugging_ …

Well it was terrifying.

Exhilarating in the sort of way that made my stomach feel as though a family of butterflies had taken up residence, but also terrifying.

I couldn't wait.

**A/N**

**So … the first chap of the Neofic return. Truthfully, I only intended for there to be a first chapter, but I've managed to do about ¼ of what I kind-of-not-really planned (if that) so you can look forward to plenty more of Leo and Nico in coming weeks!**

**Also I've realised that I've never done this before (oops) so just pointing out that I do not own Percy Jackson (sadly) or any of the characters (I'd be much nicer to them if I did. None of this throwing my ships into Tartarus, thank you very much) so yeah.**

**Stick around for next week!**


	6. Leo Once More

**A/N**

**It's back again! I apologise for the wait … now that I've sort of not really started this up again (because god knows how long this thing will go for) I have three fanfics going at once … which is fun, but somewhat stressful and confusing with trying to remember which chapter I completed for which one and whether or not I've posted it yet :/**

**It doesn't help that this story is my baby and I have an intense need for it to be perfect so I redraft it many times and yet are still usually unhappy with it when I post it **

**…**

**Well moving on! I hope you enjoy this chapter; the next one should be up sometime next week (one would hope)**

I was working very hard to resist the urge to burst into flame.

It wasn't just the whole shirtless thing, though that in itself was making me feel a little light headed.

Oh no, it was the fact that as I looked at him, messy hair and naked chest and pillow creases on his cheek, I couldn't help but imagine what it would be like waking up to this sight.

Every single morning.

And thus the heat rose.

Nico and I had been actively working on the whole 'let's not burst into flames at random points in time' thing, but it was still hard work. It meant keeping my emotions under control, and that wasn't something I had ever been particularly good at. For my first lesson to be taught by my incredibly attractive I'm-not-really-sure-what-to-call-him-is-he-my-boyf riend? meant that my chances of spontaneous combustion were even higher than usual; not the best starting point.

I may or may not have lied to Nico about the amount of progress I was making. Though I had told him it had gotten easier, if anything, as my emotions towards him strengthened my ability to keep the flames in check had waned.

However, it was most likely that he was aware of this, considering the fact that he was now the proud owner of the world's largest collection of ashen t-shirts.

I had apologised about that.

I realised that I was dumbstruck-staring again, and quickly moved my thoughts onwards.

'So, uh, this _outing _thing …' (I couldn't bring myself to say 'date;' it seemed far too cliché, and I wasn't sure if Nico would accept it.) 'What about it? Do you think it sounds … okay?'

My answer was a crooked grin.

'Well, I suppose it _would_ be better than spending the entire day on the ship …'

I had to restrain the animal urge to do a victory dance. Coughing slightly, I scratched the back of my head, a nervous habit I had begun to develop, and blushed again.

'Then, well, do you want to go now?'

Nico smile collapsed into an expression of adorable befuddlement.

'Now?' he asked, tilting his head to the side slightly. 'But I'm not dressed …'

He spread his arms to either side of him, giving me a brilliant view of his toned chest. Nico was perfect in appearance, and each new day left me realising this fact more and more. His upper body was muscular, but lean enough that you could still see each of his ribs and the curve of his collarbone. Perhaps it was because his trip to Tartarus and subsequent stint in Jar-World had caused him to lose weight, but in my eyes it made him even more beautiful. The way the plane of his chest rose over the little bump of each rib and how his shoulder blades looked almost like the nubs of angel wings. I could picture him as an avenging angel, his dark wings outstretched-

'Uh, Leo? Are you listening?' His voice broke into my daydreams and I let my eyes come back into focus, looking around somewhat shiftily. I hope he didn't have some sort of secret mind-reading power I didn't know about. These were the sort of thoughts that were _far_ too embarrassing to ever live down.

'Yes – clothes. You should get some. Now.'

Nico nodded and stepped backwards into his room to close his door, a somewhat concerned look still plastered on his face. I grinned after him, somewhat manically, or so it felt, until the door shut with a click.

Then I proceeded to fall to the ground and hit my head on the floorboards.

'Stupid stupid stupid stupid. Clothes? Get some? Where in Tartarus did that come from?'

Why was I always reduced to a stuttering mess around him? In my head, there were so many things I wanted to say, though the majority of them were incredibly tacky. However, when I was around him it was as though Nico had severed the connection between my brain and my mouth. What I _wanted_ to say was. 'No, I'd rather you just walk around like this all day so I can admire you, or, better yet, let's just go into your room now and have a make-out fest' but what came out was 'Clothes. Get some.'

Actually when I think about that in more detail it's probably best I didn't throw him that first line. I can't imagine the response would be heartening.

I think that I might get a little more nervous in his presence than he does in mine.

Maybe I should bring up the whole making-out thing. I wonder if he'd consider it?

I rose to my feet and dusted off my trousers. Best that Nico not see me like that – he might fear for my mental health, and his own safety, even more than he already does.

I lent by the doorway, waiting, until the door creaked open. Nico was now fully clothed, (much too my dismay) dressed in dark jeans and a black t-shirt. Self-consciously, I wondered if perhaps I should at least get rid of my tool belt before we left. I shrugged the idea off, however, when I saw Nico attaching his sword to his belt. At the moment, it was best to always be alert.

Once Nico had finished, he stood expectantly in the door way, his dark eyes gazing intently at me. It felt as though he were gazing into my soul, and I wondered what was going on in his head at this exact moment. What sort of thoughts ran through that mind? What happened –

'Uh, Leo? Are we going now? I'm ready.'

Oh. Okay.

I shook my head to clear it, and grinned at him.

'Are we going? For sure. It's time to get the Nico and Leo show on the road.' I winked and shot him with a finger gun. In reply, he raised an eyebrow and half-smiled.

The two of us headed down the hallway, until we reached the door onto the main deck. I opened it with a flourish, bowing deeply to Nico as he passed through the doorway. I knew I was being a bit over the top, but that was how I channelled my nervous energy. Most people chewed their fingernails or tugged at their hair; not me. No, I made helicopters out of pipe-cleaners and became highly over dramatic. The making stuff thing was what I usually channelled, because my tendency to dramatize things could make some situations _very _awkward, but there was really no choice here.

Nico graciously accepted my offer without comment.

We walked together to the front of the ship, Nico taking my hand to help me over the edge of the boat to the ladder. I blushed at the contact, quickly pulling my hand back with the knowledge that climbing down a rope ladder high off the ground was something which I really needed all my wits about me to do.

I waited patiently until Nico hit the ground with a 'thud', gazing out around us. We were on the outskirts of New York; we'd had to land a way off from the city to avoid being seen dropping out of the sky. The Mist did manipulate the extent to which mortals could see us and Festus, but even if they did think that he was a helicopter or the like, it would still attract unnecessary attention.

Nico looked around, eyes wide.

'Is that New York?' he asked breathily.

'Well, if my steering was right, then yes, it is. Otherwise, no, and I have no idea where on earth we are.' I replied, grinning.

**A/N**

** I'm sorry for that fact that, really, nothing in particular happened this chapter. I'm pretty sure it's my over-obsessive use of internal monologue bogging me down, but I promise you that next week will be more interesting! This I can tell you for certain, as I originally intended for this chapter to have another bit on the end, which I have already written and are now revelling in, but this was ****_way_**** too long with that chucked onto the end.**

**It's brilliant though, if I do say so myself :) **

**And with that, I will leave you in suspense until next week!**


	7. Oh Look it's Nico Again

**A/N**

**Yep, I updated super-duper early this week as I wrote the majority of this chapter with the last one. Like I said at the end of last chap (for those of you who read my intense ramblings) this chapter is rather exciting – and it plunges straight into the midst of it all, as it was originally intended as the end of the last chapter … oh well!**

Smiling up at him, I moved forward, the air around us becoming warmer as he turned to me. He gently reached out to brush away that annoying piece of hair that always fell into my eyes. I reached up to clasp his hand against the side of my face, leaning into it as my eyes fluttering shut. I heard him suck in a shuddering breath as I turned my cheek to gently kiss his palm. Releasing his hand, I looked up at him through my eyelashes, daring him to reciprocate. Leaning over, he softly placed his lips against my forehead, then moved down and placed a feather-light kiss at either corner of my mouth. I shivered at the touch as he pulled away slightly. I took in the sight of him, the swirl of emotions that being this close to him released, until my arms stole around his neck and drew his lips too mine.

He leant into the kiss, twining his arms around my waist and letting his eyes close. One of my hands reached up to tangle in his dark, silky hair, and I gasped against his mouth as he flattened his hands in the small of my back, pulling me closer. This was as far as we usually got before we were forced to tumble out of our cupboard and back into our routine. I couldn't help but wonder, out here, alone, with no-one stopping or watching us, how fast this side of our relationship would progress.

'Hey! Hey you kids! Who is that? Is that you, Leo and Hazel? I can see you! You'd better cease and desist straight away, or boy, am I coming down to thump some sense into you!'

Leo roughly pulled away, his eyes wide.

'Oh Gods! Oh shivers, shivers this is bad!'

He grabbed my hand and forcefully pulled me into the shadow of the ship, out of sight of Coach Hedge's watching eyes.

I quickly pulled my hand away from his, as though the old satyr might be able to sense the contact. This was bad. This was very, very bad.

No one knew about Leo and I, and they never would. That was what we had decided on. We had no idea how any of our friends would take it, but we knew it would change their perceptions of us, and neither of us wanted that.

_Friends._

When had I started to think of them like that? I suppose being around Leo had made me even more open without me even realising it. Percy, Hazel, Frank, Annabeth, Piper and even Jason – I was happy here with them, and I didn't want our little almost-family to be damaged, especially not with me as the cause.

This was the sort of time when all of us needed to be closer than ever, if we were going to be able to fight Gaia's army and get Percy and Annabeth back; we couldn't afford for there to be divisions.

'Oh Gods.' I groaned, combing my hair back with my hand. There was no way to remedy this situation. Hedge knew he had seen someone, and he would stop at nothing until he found out who and punished them appropriately. But the fanatical satyr had bitten off more than he could chew with this one.

The only question left was how long it would take for him to figure that out.

I turned back to Leo, who was standing a little way off, darkened by the hulking shadow of the ship. I stepped towards him, reaching out a hand to touch his shoulder.

'Leo …' I said softly.

He stepped away from me, into the darkness and out of my reach.

I flinched, slowly withdrawing my hand to my side. Looking down at my shoes, I sighed. This must be much harder for Leo than me; if this was how I felt after only knowing most of the seven for a month, I wondered how he must fell, having known them for far longer.

The only people who I had really known for any longer were Percy, Hazel and Annabeth. Percy and Annabeth would have no idea of this, and it was certain that even if they did they had _far_ bigger issues on their minds. Hazel however … I wonder how she would feel about this. I kidded myself that I could read her, but in reality I had no idea what her reaction to an event like this would be.

I looked back up to what i could see of Leo. All that was visible of him was a sliver of his right side. I could see his hand clenching and unclenching as his shoulders rose and dropped in time with his breathing.

'Leo?'

I tried again, even as a little voice in the back of my mind urged me not too, as I wondered what I would do if he didn't reply.

I didn't have to worry though. He spun towards me, a grin plastered on his face.

'Well, I suppose that came out a bit earlier than I would prefer, but at least it had good comedic value. I mean, did you see Coach's face? Ha! He looked like he was going to have an apoplectic fit! And really, Hazel and I? I wonder how he managed to mistake you for Hazel; you aren't nearly pretty enough.'

He strode over and stopped in front of me, hands on his hips. 'So then! Let's not let this ruin the outing. You ready to go?'

I stared steadily at him. I knew that this was how Leo dealt with things – he hid behind a façade of jokes and banter. But this wasn't the sort of thing that would go away; he needed to accept that.

Stepping forward, he punched me in the arm.

'C'mon buddy, I didn't mean it. You're way prettier than Hazel. In, uh, a guy sort of way.'

When I didn't reply again he took a step back and put his hands on his hips, staring me down.

'What?' he demanded. 'Why do you keep looking at me like that?'

I sighed. 'Leo, this is serious. Our secrets out – are you really okay with that? What are we going to say to everyone?'

I watched him visibly deflate, hands curling in on themselves and shoulders slumping. I stepped forward and slipped my arms around his waist. He collapsed into me, hands curled against my chest as he sighed deeply.

'I don't know.' came his response. 'I don't know, I really don't know. We'll have to tell them, otherwise Hedge will just make it even more awkward. But – but I don't want it to change. This group that we have here, we're like family now. If only Percy and Annabeth were here, it would be perfect. I – I worry about them sometimes. Where are they? Are they together, are they safe? Are they – are they even _alive?_ I just don't know. And it seems so pointless to worry about this when they're in so much trouble, but I just can't help it y'know. I just … I just can't.'

**A/N**

**Well, that didn't come out quite as I expected. I'm not sure how so much angst got injected into what was ****_supposed _****to just really be romantic drabble. And so quickly!**

**Yeah, if it hadn't yet become obvious, I don't really plan these things. I just write and whatever spills out of my head onto the page is what I end up with, so sometimes I surprise even myself. I must say, I do like vulnerable Leo and reassuring Nico though. I know these guys are so far out of character now, and I actually really apologise for that, but I guess it seemed as though everyone should be a little more unhappy about the whole Percadeath issue. I hadn't really planned on the Hedge thing. No idea how in Hades I'm going to resolve that one. I think this somewhat depressing turn may be due to my masochistic tendency to believe all my favourite characters will die (which they usually do) combined with Viria's (a tumblr artist who probably does the best PJ fanart ever) theory and recreation of Leo being the one closing the doors of death. Probably so. *tear***

**Also, I do know that I spelt it Gaia again, but I'm sorry that's the only way I feel as though it fits. The Last Dragon Chronicles were my child, and they've destroyed any chances of me ever being able to comfortably spell it Gaea.**

**Oh well.**


	8. Even More Of Nico

**A/N**

**Wow! Look at that! I updated super-fast again (I say super but it wasn't really. Meh)**

**I know this is from Nico's point of view again, and usually I try to alternate, but I felt as though this story within the story needed to be told from his POV and I couldn't stuff it onto the tail end of the last chapter without it being almost twice as long as usual, so yeah.**

**You take what you get, I suppose.**

**A recap of the end of the last chap (this is Leo speakin' by the way):**

**"If only Percy and Annabeth were here, it would be perfect. I – I worry about them sometimes. Where are they? Are they together, are they safe? Are they – are they even ****_alive?_**** I just don't know. And it seems so pointless to worry about us when they're in so much trouble, but I just can't help it y'know. I just … I just can't."**

I kissed the top of his head and rested my cheek in his curls.

'I know. I know how you feel, because that's how I'm feeling too. It's as though our happiness is a sin; surely we shouldn't be cheerful while our friends are in danger? It's the thought that's always at the back of my mind whenever we're together. It doesn't help that I know what it's like down there, the sort of horrors they'll be facing. But we can't let all those thoughts get to us. Percy and Annabeth would want us to be happy, so that they didn't have to worry about us.'

I didn't like talking or thinking about my experience in Tartarus. It brought up far too many painful memories, of horrific things I had seen and been forced to confront. But I knew know that there was one specific story I needed to share with Leo, to help him understand.

'There was one time, when I had already been searching for the Doors of Death for weeks, when I had all but given up on finding them. A – a monster came. I was fighting it, and it threw me to the ground. And I wondered what would happen if I just didn't get up. If I let it kill me. There would finally be a break from the worry, from the fighting. Perhaps Bianca would even be there. It seemed like the best option at the time, and I had almost accepted my fate. But then I remembered Hazel, who I had promised to be there for, who I had promised to protect. I couldn't just leave her, couldn't just let her die at the hands of Gaia and her minions. I couldn't break those promises. The thought of her, of her smiling face at camp, of what could happen if I didn't succeed – that's what saved me. It was thoughts of her, and my other friends, Percy and Annabeth, and even Frank, that helped me to keep going, even when I was half-dead from dehydration, hunger and exhaustion, when the monsters never seemed to stop coming. I had to protect them, protect their smiles and laughter. That's what Percy and Annabeth are fighting to defend, their own happiness, and, by extension, the happiness of those dear to them. Don't throw away their sacrifice by crying and moping – that won't achieve anything. Obviously, you should feel a little unhappy; that way you know you're human. But all that we can really do is help them, and we can do that best at the moment, not only by looking for them, but by looking after one another's well-being, so that they don't have to worry.'

I breathed out deeply as I finished, and looked downwards from where my gaze had lifted to the roof. I turned pink as I realised that Leo was gazing intently at me, his lips slightly parted, his expression tinged with wonder.

'Is that really what helped you through Tatarus? Did you truly spend all of your time there thinking about others?'

I coughed a little and removed my arm from around his waist to awkwardly brush back the hair that was falling into my eyes.

'Well obviously not _all_ of my time. I spent the majority of it just thinking about how not to get killed. It's not like it's a big deal or anyth-'

I was cut off rather abruptly as Leo grabbed a handful of my shirt and dragged my lips down to cover his. When I came up for air he placed his hands on my chest and pushed me away as he took a step back.

'Good Gods man. Don't go all soft and supportive on me, I simply won't be able to restrain myself, and then what sort of pickle would we be in?'

I grinned sheepishly. 'Um, I'm sorry, I guess?'

He marched forward and hit me lightly on the shoulder.

'Don't apologise! That makes it even worse. Do you _want _me to turn into a raging hormonal-driven monster?'

I wasn't entirely sure what the correct answer to that question would be, and anything I could think of seemed as though it was worsen the situation, so I stayed silent.  
Leo stepped forward and took hold of my hand, threading his tanned fingers through my pale ones. Leaning forward, he whispered in my ear, his warm breath dancing across my cheek.

'Seriously though, you better not tell anyone else that story. They'll realise what a softy you actually are and end up falling at your feet. And I won't allow that to happen, especially now that I know this story– I want you all to myself.'

He pulled back, still holding my hand, to look me in the eye.

'By the way, I'm almost certain that's the most words I've ever heard you say in a single paragraph. And the majority of them where about Hazel. Are you sure that she's not really the one you're in love with? Because if that's the case, I'm not the one who you should be using to get to her – that would be Frank.'

I smiled at his re-animation.

'Hazel? Gods no, we look far too alike. Imagine what family reunions would be like – from the back, no one would be able to tell us apart.'

Leo let out a short back of laughter. 'Was –was that a _joke?_ Did Nico just make a funny?'

'No,' I continued, feigning obliviousness, 'It's not Hazel I'm using you to get too. It's Piper; she's the one I'm interested in. I couldn't use Jason, as one look at all of that suave manliness, and I might have forgotten that it was all just a cover to get close to my true love. That's the real reason I chose you.'

I stared at him, stony faced, as his expression took a turn for the horrified.

'Jason? Suave manliness? _Really?' _

I sighed, then raised an eyebrow and grinned at him.

'I love how what you pick up on isn't the fact that I'm actually in love with Piper, it's that I think Jason is manly.'

'But – but do you?' came the horrified stutter.

'Gods no.' I replied. 'He's much too blond.'

Leo frowned and crossed his arms. 'Don't scare me like that. Your face is too serious for your jokes to be funny. It just makes it weird.'

'Oh believe me, it's funny – for me anyway.' I told him, grabbing hold of his arm to shadow-travel, effectively killing any further arguments.


	9. This Time It's Leo

A/N

**Yes everyone, it's finally another chapter of Neofic. (I really hate that name but I can't think of anything better) I apologise for the fact that I've taken even longer than usual to upload this. I'm so slack, I know.**

**But, after all of your waiting, here's another chap, and this one's from Leo's point of view.**

**Side Note: For those actual living, breathing (well if you're living I'm sure hoping you're also breathing; I'm not a big fan of the whole Zombie-Apocalypse scenario) New Yorkers out there, I apologise for what is most likely going to be a large amount of stereotyping and inconsistencies in the surrounding description, as I have never been to America. And I thought it might be taking it too far (even for this already-plot-destroying-story) to just casually chuck them in Australia. **

**Oh gosh now you all know where I live. **

**Please don't stalk me.**

I stumbled as I felt my feet hit the ground, lurching forward and almost falling, stopped only by Nico's supportive hands. I felt kind of queasy and the world appeared to be spinning when I cracked my eyes open. I groaned and closed them again, sagging backwards against Nico's chest. He wrapped one arm around me and stroked my hair back from my forehead with a hand.

'Sorry about that.' I could feel the vibrations as he spoke, reverberating through my back.

'Ugh.' I moaned, raising a hand to my forehead. 'What even was that?'

He placed his hand over mine, fingers dancing over the back of my palm. I could sense the gentle flurry of air that each movement created against my cheek, and felt the world begin turning at a normal speed once more.

'I forgot that I've never shadow-travelled with you before – it's a form of movement that some sons and daughters of Hades can do. It involves uses shadow energy to, well, basically to teleport. I just moved us from the shadows under the ship to some here. It sometimes makes people feel a little bit ill the first time they experience it.'

'Yeah. I'm getting that fact.' I replied, somewhat sardonically. 'Does dizziness usually come hand in hand with that too?'

'Uh yeah. You get used to it after a while though. Next time won't be as bad.'

'I'm just hoping that there won't _be_ a next time.'

He spun me around so that we were chest to chest, his cool hand pressing against my forehead. When I forced my eyelids open I could see that his expression was one of concern.

'Are you alright? It feels like you've got a temperature.'

I managed to sum up enough sarcasm to roll my eyes at him. 'Well would it surprise you if I told you that the reason I was running a fever wasn't from the trip but may well have something to do with your close proximity?'

He jumped away from me, as though his continued closeness could somehow work to make my condition worse. I felt somewhat exposed to the elements without his arms around me, and was about to point out that I hadn't meant for that comment to make him let go, when my attention was captured by something in the very corner of my vision. I turned my head, and my jaw proceeded to drop to the floor.

Laid out before me was the shining city of New York.

Buildings towered above me, rising into the air. I felt my jaw drop as I craned my neck, I staring forwards, in a futile attempt to catch a glimpse of where they ended.

I couldn't.

We were in the shadows of a skyscraper, barely a sliver of an alleyway between the two giant buildings. Outside, people were smiling and laughing, Children manically darting through the groups as their fretful parents attempted to retrieve them. Crowds of teenagers stood around a fountain that dominated the centre of this impromptu square, laughing, flirting, jeering at one another. There was others, split off, couples walking around with their hands clasped tight together.

So many people, living their everyday lives, oblivious to the danger that they were constantly surrounded by.

I turned back to Nico, eyes wide.

'This – this is _incredible!_' I've never seen so many buildings, and they're so tall! And all of the _people_; they're _everywhere._'

The right corner of his mouth pulled up in a crooked half grin, most likely at my animation.

'I take it you've never been to New York before?' he asked.

'Nu-uh.' I replied, shaking my head vigorously. 'Born and bred in Texas, that's me. Wilderness school was the closest I ever got to escaping _that_ hell-hole, and believe me, it wasn't much better.'

The crooked grin turned into a full-out smile. 'Well this'll certainly be an experience for you then. Though if you're surprised by the number of people, this is nothing. Wait until you see Times Square – the crowds are easily over ten times this big.'

'Times Square!' I yelped, practically jumping him. Clutching at his arm, I excitedly stared into his face. 'Will we seriously get to see Times Square?'

He gave a small chuckle. 'You tell me. Weren't you the one who invited _me_ on this expedition? Surely you must have _some_ idea of our destination.'

I frowned, realising that sort of made sense. I hadn't really had any specific ideas of where to go; New York just happened to be the most convenient place to stop for supplies, and when Hedge had told me he would stay on the ship to make sure that the Harpies were packing everything correct telling me _'If they do something wrong, then I'm a lot more threatening than you are, cupcake.' _My instinct reaction had been to run to Nico's cabin and tell him we could spend the day together – there had really been no planning involved – I wasn't really one for thinking things through; I usually went for the more sophisticated rush-in-headlong-with-no-idea-what-the-heck-you're -actually-trying-to-achieve approach.

In other words, I had no plans for today.

So that's what I told Nico as I turned to him, beaming. 'There is no destination! So let's just make it up as we go along and try to have as much fun as possible, 'kay?'

He smiled sweetly back at me, his expression making my chest tighten as he replied.

'Okay!'

**A/N**

**I apologise for the fact that this chapter is quite obviously a filler. It's so much of a filler that it can't even try to hide it's fillerness. It was created singularly for the purpose of bridging the gap between the last chapter and the next one and also to provide the required amount of romantic fluff per month. **

**Hopefully, next week will be more enjoyable … **


	10. NicoNicoNico

**A/N **

**Whoo! Is it just me, or is it hot in here?**

**Yep, you got that right – it's getting a little hot and heavy for Leo and Nico this chap (I ****_say _****hot and heavy – what I ****_mean_**** is that it's gone somewhat past casual kissing.**

**'How far past?' I hear you asking**

**Well read on too see!**

Wandering the streets with a pyromaniac elf hadn't been what I'd had in mind for my future when I'd decided to fight against Gaia.

It was far, far better.

I glanced over to where Leo walked beside me. His eyes were still saucer-wide, his expression, one of amazement. I couldn't contain the grin that crept onto my face as I watched him. Like a little kid, he ran a few steps ahead of me, spinning with his arms open wide and his face uplifted. Turning back to me, eyes shining, he breathed out, his warm breath clouding the chilly air.

'This, this, this is _incredible_!'

My grin became somewhat more smirk-like.

'This 'incredible' thing that you're looking at is just a side street - it's not like there's anything to _see.'_

Leo pulled his head in towards himself, looking affronted.

'Of course there is. There's _always_ something to see – you just have to look hard enough to find it.' He turned his back to me, continuing his way up the street. Stopping suddenly, sending me stumbling into him, he pointed.

'Look! Over there!'

My eyes followed the line of his arm to alight on a couple huddled together in the doorway, the woman's eyes bright as she gazed up at the man. Red-cheeked, he handed her a small gift-wrapped box, ducking his head as she received it with a kiss on the cheek.

'And there!' Leo exclaimed, drawing my attention to the shadow of a Cyclops as it slipped into a darkened laneway.

I regarded him with what I assumed was a confused expression. 'So what? Happy couples and cyclops'; we get those every day at camp. There's nothing particularly special about it.'

Leo's returning gaze was incredulous.

'You don't get it? Can't you _see?'_

'See what?' I shot back, somewhat annoyed.

He sighed. 'But this isn't like camp. Don't you understand? Half-bloods and cyclops' living together is no big deal – we have for centuries. But those people aren't half-bloods – they're _mortals. _Sharing the same space as our kind, breathing the same air. Even now, when Gaia is readying her army, these people are living side by side with creatures that they would consider to be monsters. Their existence is symbiotic; they coexist with one another even as we fight against our own kind.'

Looking at it that way, I could see what he meant. It _was _incredible, the fact that two races which were so very different could live together happily, while we still couldn't even cope with other _demigods, _let alone Gaia and her allies. Obviously, we would never exist alongside Gaia; our ideals and ways of life were far too different.

But the Romans – now that was a different story. We were of the same breed, many of us of the same blood, working together for the same goal.

Yet we couldn't even be in the same camp as one another without sparks flying. That was something that would be truly incredible – if we could successfully work together to defeat Gaia's army.

I wondered if Leo always looked at the world this way. It must be truly beautiful to see through his eyes.

I was pulled from my thoughts by the touch of a warm hand taking hold of mine, twining our fingers together.

I looked from the corner of my eye to Leo as he stood surveying me, a half-smiling dancing across his face. Leaning in, I kissed it from his lips, transferring it to my own as I drew back.

Leo's expression mimicked that of a small, grumpy child, bottom lip jutting out and brow furrowed.

'No fair.' he mumbled. 'I'm meant to be the sassy, funny, cool one in this relationship, and you're meant to be the thoughtful quiet one. Stop stealing my role.'

'If you keep that expression up,' I interjected 'It'll definitely boost your cool level. I mean, I can practically _feel_ the sass radiating from that face.'

Pulling his hand from my grip to place it on his waist, Leo assumed an unimpressed air.

I folded my arms, tilting my head to the side. 'Stop pouting. Angry toddler doesn't suit you - you're better matched to hyperactive teenager; it makes more use of your natural talents.'

'Well, if I'm a hyperactive teenager, then what are you?' he enquired, seeming genuinely curious.

'What am I?' I replied, somewhat thrown. 'I – I don't know. What do _you_ think I am?'

Leo bit his lip, seemingly thinking hard, until he suddenly hit his fist into his palm.

'I know!' he exclaimed, a pink blush suffusing his cheeks. 'You're –'

I closed my eyes, waiting for whatever cute comment was sure to follow.

'The stereotypical angst ridden teenager!'

With a snap, my eyes sprang open. Not at all what I was expecting. Leo's grin was so large it was almost cracking his face in two. I could practically _feel _the air warming around me as it was hit with a blinding ray of Leo-light.

I met his smile with an ice cold stare, taking a threatening step towards him. Pinning him down with my gaze, I took another step, my movements threatening, my stance aggressive …

At least, it was … until one of my slow footfalls went awry and I found myself slipping on the icy ground and falling straight into Leo.

As he saw me coming he raised his hands, successfully catching me around the waist – however that was the most successful he got. His feet slipped out from under him as he attempted to support my weight, sending both of us skittering to the floor in a tangle of limbs. I ended up half on top of Leo, his arms flung around my waist as I used my elbows to support myself.

He was gazing up at me, brown eyes wide. The flecks of gold in his iris' shone and his lips were slightly parted. I propped myself up on a single elbow so that I could lift a piece of dark hair from where it had fallen, obscuring his eyes. I could feel every inch of his body pressing into mine, our chests were flush against one another.

Leo's breath was warm on my face as I leant down and placed a soft kiss on the tip of his nose. I went to pull away, but he lifted a hand from where it gripped my waist, taking hold of my chin and lowering it back to his lips. Slanting our mouths against one another, our lips moved in harmony as we breathed as one. In that moment, it felt almost as though our souls were knit together.

I felt Leo bite softly on my bottom lip and I shivered, our bodies shuddering together as I deepened the kiss. His hands moved to the back of my head and he pulled me even closer towards him, heat playing across my face as I felt his body temperature begin to rise.

'Hey! You two! Get a bloody room!'


	11. LeoLeoLeo

**A/N**

**I have nothing to say this week. I know you're all very sad you're not going to have to read twenty paragraphs of my rambling, but you'll just have to hold back those tears.**

**Last week:**

**His hands moved to the back of my head and he pulled me even closer towards him, heat playing across my face as I felt his body temperature begin to rise.**

** 'Hey! You two! Get a bloody room!' **

I pulled back from Nico, shocked to my senses by the shout. Nico was turning red as he quickly sprung away from me, pushing himself to his feet and dusting the sleet off his dark trousers. As he offered a hand which I used to pull myself up, I searched for the owner of the voice.

There.

A teenage boy, not much older than us, leaning over a balcony too our left, the smirk on his face obvious even from this distance. Gazing downward, he raked a hand through his gelled blond hair and continued to call to us.

'I mean, guys, it's cute and all, but my kid sister hangs out on this street with her friends. She really doesn't need to be emotionally scarred by the sight of the two of you practically going at it. I mean, that's what hotels and junk are for.'

I was feeling somewhat awkward. Now balcony-boy wasn't the only one looking at us – the other inhabitants of the street had decided to come see what the ruckus was about. The couple that we had seen earlier drifted over, mitten-clad hands gripping one another. An old lady who had been feeding birds when we walked past raised her head, and I'm sure that if Mr Cyclops had been here, he would've joined the party as well.

I darted a glance a Nico, whose complexion had returned to its usual deathly-white state.

'What do we do?' I hissed. My only reply was a slight lift of the shoulders.

Balcony-boy seemed to be expecting some sort of answer as he surveyed us idly from his perch. I cleared my throat and called back.

'Uh – okay. Thank you for warning us. We'll, um, we'll be sure to 'get a room' next time. Sorry about that …'

I tacked an awkward grin onto the end of my eloquent speech, and, grabbing Nico's hand, scuttled off in the opposite direction, dragging him with me.

When we were a reasonable distance away, I dropped his hand and stopped, resting against the side of a building as I sucked air back into my lungs. Nico didn't even seem out of breath as he crossed his arms and watched me re-oxidise myself. When I could breathe easily once more, I leant back onto the cool stone, admiring the boy that stood before me. His dark hair was tousled, both from the kissing and the running, and his cheeks held a tinge of pink. The image of the icy pavement we had been laying on was imprinted into his elbows.

I sighed.

Even out here, without the threat of our friends, the universe still seemed set on interrupting us. Admittedly, the edge of a public street _may_ not have been the best place to decide to take our relationship to the next level, but, nonetheless, it was still rather frustrating.

I wonder if Nico was thinking the same thing. Even now, I still had trouble reading him. I think it may have been the difficulty of his childhood years, most specifically his sister's death, now coupled with his time in Tartarus, that closed him off so much to the world. He was certainly more open now than when I had met him, than on that fateful night when I had seen him, _really_ seen him, for the first time.

But Percy's stories, of the Nico he had first met years ago, a little boy in love with the idea of gods and monsters, with his cards and figurines – I still couldn't match the two images together. That innocent boy, with no ides of the horrors he would face, and this boy here. A boy who had been shattered from the inside out, and try as I might, I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to put him back together.

'Let's get ice-cream.' I announced without warning.

I was getting too depressive. What was it I had said to Nico? 'I'm meant to be the sassy, funny, cool one in this relationship, and you're meant to be the thoughtful quiet one?' Well I certainly wasn't going to mantain my preferred job description if I kept this up. Too much thinking so early in the morning did horrors for one's digestion.

Nico's gaze on me was sceptical. 'Ice-cream? It's the middle of winter. Who in their right mind would eat ice-cream in this weather?'

I gave him a double thumbs up and grinned.

'I'd have thought you would have realised by now – I'm _not_ in my right mind. Anyways, ice-cream is good in _all_ weather. The cold milkiness, combined with the goodness of large amounts of sugar – it even comes in _flavours_ for gods sake; what's not to like about it?!'

'It's the middle of winter and ice-cream is a summer food.' came Nico's reply. 'You're not meant to eat cold things in cold weather. It's not right. Anyway, do we even have any money?'

Now _that_ I was prepared for.

'Yesiree.' I replied. 'I can pull mortal money out of this belt as well as other stuff. I am ri-i-ich.' I sang the last bit, twirling around on the spot and drawing the attention of a stray dog that was wandering past, who gave me what I assume was the dog equivalent of a confused look. Nico was regarding me with much the same expression, though I did notice the hint of a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. Leaning forward and placing a kiss on his cheek in an attempt to encourage it, I grabbed his hand and began to skip towards what appeared to be a main street. Our joined hands swung back and forth as I sung.

'Ice-cream ice-cream, we're getting some ice-cream, la de da de da. Ice-cream is so yummy and sweet na na na na na.'

'You do know that singing words doesn't make them a song.' Nico interjected from a few steps behind me. He was refusing to skip, opting instead to scurry awkwardly in my wake.

I dropped my pace back to a walk as we neared the busier road, falling into step beside him.

'Do you really not like ice-cream?' I asked, somewhat incredulously.

'No, it's not that.' he assured me. 'Ice-cream is perfectly fine – in fact I quite like it. It just seems rather nonsensical to eat it when it's so cold.'

I considered this statement and nodded.

'I suppose that does make sense. I'm just never really cold. Even now, when everyone else is bundled up in coats and scarves …'

I trailed off as I realised something, turning to look at him.

'Nico! Oh gods, you must be half freezing to death. Why didn't you bring any warmer clothes, or at least say something?'

He ducked his head shyly away from my gaze, eyes dropping to the pavement.

'I didn't think it would be this cold – it's always warm on the ship. And it's alright – I can cope pretty well with cold. I'm just … a little chilly.'

I sidled up next to him, breaking the link our hands made to gesture towards his shoulders.

'Um, is it okay if I …' I blushed.

At first, Nico seemed somewhat confused, but realisation dawned and he nodded, even as his face was suffused with pink.

'Oh, ah yes of course.' he mumbled.

I awkwardly draped my arm around his shoulders, pulling him in closer to me as we walked. An awkward sort of tense silence draped itself over us. This reminded me once again of the time we first kissed – I'd had to share my body heat with him that time too.

'Doesn't this remind you of the first time we kissed?' as Nico, eyes still downcast.

I started, staring at him.

'Yes; that's what I was just thinking.'

There was silence once more, but this time it felt almost … comfortable. Nico was again the one to break it.

'So … let's get that ice-cream, hey?'

**A/N**

**So … exciting news … I have another PJ fanfic in the works! The first chapter should be up sometime in the next few weeks; no reveals yet but it is another story full of story-less romantic fluff amongst an obscure pairing.**

**So look out for that!**


	12. Here is A Nico

**A/N **

**Sorry for the intense slackness of my updating … I've been kind of depressed, romantically-wise, and that isn't the sort of mindset necessary to write romantic fluff. However, I have thrust aside my own personal angst to write some LeoXNico angst. **

**Enjoy.**

The guy behind the counter was looking at us funny. I'm not sure if his disconcerted expression was due to the fact that Leo's cheek was pressed against the glass as he whispered sweet nothings to the caramel cookies and cream, or that there was actually anyone prepared to eat ice-cream on what was possibly the coldest day in American history.

I was guessing it was a combination of both. Truthfully, I had been surprised that we could even find an ice-cream store that was open. I had expected that they'd all be closed, and therefore Leo could simply put aside this ridiculous notion that so openly defied the laws of winter food.

Admittedly, we must look a pair – Leo in his still-somewhat-grease-stained trousers, suspenders, and tool belt. His white shirt was rolled up to the elbows, revealing sun darkened, leanly muscular arms, a far cry from the vast majority of the public, who were bundled up in coats, scarves and gloves. Not that I could really comment – I was only dressed in dark jeans and a short-sleeved black shirt. I didn't have a jumper, my only one having been destroyed in the boiler room on my first night with Leo. It was however, a sacrifice I had been willing to make. If that jacket hadn't been destroyed, then there wouldn't have been any need to utilise body heat … and things surely wouldn't have progressed as they did. The coat had served me well, and died a worthy death. It's sacrifice would not be forgotten.

My attention was pulled back to the present as Leo bounded over, dark eyes wide and shining. He grabbed my hand, tugging on it impatiently.

'Come on Nico! You have to _look!_ There's so many flavours here; what are you going to have?'

He was like a child in a candy store. Perhaps that had something to do with the fact that he _was _a child in a candy store. Well, practically, anyway.

'I'll have rainbow ice-cream with fudge sauce and sprinkles.'

The words left my mouth automatically, and I winced. Leo's expression was perplexed, though tinged somewhat with admiration. Cocking an eyebrow, he tilted his head, curls tumbling to one side as he considered this.

'Really Nico? Can't say I pegged you as a rainbow-and-sprinkles sort of guy. I guess it's true what they say about books and covers!'

I sighed, running a hand abruptly thorough my hair.

'No, um, it's not like that. It's just … my sister used to always order that whenever we got ice-cream together. It sort of popped out automatically.'

I shied away from saying more on the matter. My sister wasn't really my favourite topic of conversation; talking about her brought back painful memories and unwanted emotions. Leo seemed to realise this, but it didn't stop him from prying a bit. I couldn't say I blamed him – all he really knew was that she had died while on her very first quest, under the care of Percy. I hadn't told him anything, about how betrayed I had felt when she joined the hunters, or even _how _she had died.

'Was that – are you talking about Bianca?' he asked gently, eyes understanding, as his grip on my fingers tightened ever so slightly. I nodded mutely, and he raised a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. The light-blue walls and rows of colourful ice-creams blinked out of existence, leaving only him and I. This is what happened whenever I was in his company – nothing else mattered. We could be in the middle of a store, or hidden away in a broom cupboard. As long as Leo was there was me, I didn't care.

I bent, resting my forehead on his shoulder, a breath escaping with the release of pent up emotion. Leo's hand smoothed down my hair, running through the knotted strands in which he lightly rested his chin. I could feel his heart beat speeding up, thudding rapidly against mine. My breathing hitched as my chest tightened, compelling me to force air in and out of my lungs. I snaked my arms around his waist, face still buried in his shirt. He smelt like wood smoke and engine oil and snow; I thought to myself that it was possible that there had never been a nicer smell ever in the world. He had just leant down to place a kiss in my hair when the sound of someone clearing their throat crashed into our happy little fantasy world.

Not again.

My arms felt far too empty as Leo pulled away, my heartbeat far too quiet. I watched him longingly, wanting nothing more than to be close to him, even as his face steadily reddened. However, he couldn't compete with the ice-cream salesman himself, whose face was simply a splash of red against the surrounding walls. I winced at his discomfort, as he managed to force out his stammering sales pitch.

'Um, ah, sorry … are you guys ready to, uh, ready to order?'

Leo's grin was sheepish as he nodded. 'Yeah, I'm good to go, and from the sound of things, Nico here is too.' He turned to me, expression inquisitive, sending my heart aching with yearning. Would it always be this way, torn apart whenever we got close to one another? I certainly hoped not; I wasn't sure I could take any more of this torment.

Realising he was waiting for some sort of sign that I was indeed decided, I replied with a terse nod. Turning, he drifted over to the cashier, reciting his order and then mine, in turn. When told how much it would cost, he snapped open his tool belt and reached inside to pull out a wad of ten dollar notes. The cashier seemed surprised at the sudden production of money, especially at how clean it was. I wondered what his reaction would be if Leo pulled out the chainsaw he fervently claimed he could produce. I smirked a little at the thought, watching as our frosty-cold treats were spooned into small cardboard containers. When the process was complete, Leo snatched them up and practically pranced over to me, placing the ice-cream in my left hand and grabbing my right. He dragged me out of the shop, pulling us directly past the tables collected outside.

'Hey, wait up!' I entreated him. 'Aren't we going to sit down?'

He slowed his pace somewhat, letting my hand slip through his as he replied.

'Seriously? That guy looked like he was going to go into cardiac arrest. Do you really want to endanger him further? Anyway,' he glanced back, grin wide. 'I've found a place with a far better view.'

This place that he had 'discovered' was a large, tree-strewn park, thrown, seemingly at random, into the centre of the city, a small piece of natural scenery among the towering buildings and bustling roadways. I followed Leo onto the worn path, glancing up at the trees around us. Someone had made the intelligent decision to plant evergreens, meaning that they still cast their mottled shadows over us, even at this time of year. We followed the pathway in comfortable silence, until we emerged in a small, unshaded area. A few people milled around, braving the cold. A moss-strewn fountain dominated the clearing, sputtering away as drops splashing downwards and sent ripples dancing across the surface.

'Here!' announced Leo. 'This looks good!'

Personally, I could have gone for somewhere a little more, well, _private, _but I did have to admit that the few weak rays of sunlight struggling their way through the cloud cover were more than welcome. Perching next to him on the fountains edge, I finally looked down at the bowl in my hand, it's little pink spoon protruding above the lip. I felt a pang of nostalgia as I gazed down at the colour-strewn mixture. This must be at least the hundredth bowl of this concoction l had seen – it was what Bianca had always ordered, ever since we were small. I could see her now, rainbow speckled tongue protruding as she rolled her eyes at me. I looked back up to see that Leo was already tucking into his, eyes closed in blissful enjoyment as he licked his spoon clean of white chocolate topping. I took hold of my own spoon, scooping a small portion of ice-cream into my mouth. It tasted like I remembered; brownies and sugar and that odd taste that only rainbow-coloured foods manage to achieve.

I was pulled from my reverie by the sound of feminine giggles. I groaned internally. Would people never leave us alone? It's not like we were even _doing _anything this time … eating ice-cream is perfectly innocent, if somewhat odd in this weather.

Wearily cracking open my eyes, I raised my head to see a gaggle of girls watching us, hovering under a nearby tree. They looked about Leo's age, perhaps a little younger. There were three of them, two brunettes taking the lead, while a blonde in glasses stood a little further back, a sketch book clasped to her chest. They were definitely watching us, there was no doubt about that. It felt a little weird; I'd never really gotten much attention from girls, and even when I did it simply made me rather awkward, knowing that I couldn't think about them the same way.

One of the brunettes turned and made a comment to the blonde, who nodded then began to blush furiously as her friends grasped her shoulders as she struggled and protested. They began to drag her towards us as I elbowed Leo in the ribs.

'Hey, look over there. There … uh, there's some girls heading over here. I'm not sure why.'

He glanced up, expression half interest, half simple confusion. The three females had stopped in front of us, the blond still flailing and attempting to hide behind her sketch book.

'Hello.' said one of the brunettes. I looked towards Leo, expression frantic. _'Fix it!'_ I mouthed. He raised his hands and shoulders, as though asking what _he _was supposed to do, but then relented, turning back to face our newfound companions.

'Um, hello.' he replied awkwardly, managing to make it sound more like a question than a greeting. The brunette, however, seemed happy with this, and continued with her speech.

'My friend,' here came the nod to the blonde-haired girl who had stopped resisting, and was now attempting to curl herself into a shape small enough to be contained by her notebook, 'Thinks you're cute.'

Leo snorted, expression disbelieving. The other brown-haired one, who up until now had been silent, spoke.

'No, seriously! She just said so before. We wanted to know what your name was.'

I felt a pang of jealousy. These girls didn't deserve him! It's not like they even knew him, they had no right to comment on his cuteness. _I _was the only one allowed to think about him that way, not anyone else! It wasn't fair! I felt like telling him not to reply, but it was too late; his mouth was already open.

'I'm Leo, I guess. And this is Nico.'

He gestured to me with his spoon as all eyes turned my way. I couldn't even bother to produce a smile, irritated as I was. They had no right to come over here and talk to him so openly.

But it only got worse.

'So …' continued the second brunette, 'Can my friend have your number?'

I whipped around so quickly that I was caught in the face by Leo's ice-cream spoon. I felt like jumping to my feet and throttling her. 'No!' I wanted to scream. 'No you cannot have his number! He may not have a phone, but even if he _did, _you couldn't have it!'

I was actually considering following through with this, when Leo gently placed a hand on my knee; it seemed almost as though he could sense my intentions.

'I'm very sorry.' he replied calmly. 'But I can't do that. You see, Nico here is my boyfriend.'

His boyfriend. That was the first time he had called me anything of the sort. I felt my heart speed up, skipping a few beats here and there as I struggled to contain the grin which threatened to emerge.

The two dark-haired girls looked disappointed, but, for the first time, the blonde lowered her notebook, gazing at the two of us with serious blue eyes.

'I hope he makes you happy.' she said, addressing the comment to Leo. He nodded, glancing sideways at me as a smile and a bush crept onto his face.

'Yes. Yes he does make me very happy.'

'That's good then. I'm glad.' And saying so, she took her friends' hands, leaving us together on the edge of the fountain, watching her go.

**A/N **

**Well that's another chapter out of the way! You may have noticed (or at least I hoped you did) that the word count has upped itself a little … to over double the normal size. This is because with the amount of monologue and scene-setting I do, I can't really make that much happen in the space of only 1000 words. So from here on in, chapters will be longer … I hope that pleases some of you. Also, I couldn't resist doing a jealous Nico … he's just so cute! :)**

**Announcement! **

**In truth, this announcement has been on my profile for eons, but if you're like me, you're probably far too lazy to actually read anything people post on author profiles, so I'm just reiterating it here. **

**I need a Beta for this story. Rather urgently. I'm not particularly brilliant at self-editing, especially as I usually write at an absurd hour of the morning; it's hard to revise a sentence when the words are busy swimming in front of your eyes. So I'd like someone to give a second opinion, make sure my facts are right, and stop me from changing Nico's eye colour ever chapter (which is what often seems to happen). Just pointing out (no bribery. None at all) that the lucky person with this job description ****_will _****be able to read new chapters before anyone else on the face of the planet, beside moi. And may also get a sneaky peek at my new fanfic, which is still under construction. **

**So … PM me if interested.**

**That is all. **


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